The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, had on the 27th of January on his X platform stated that approval was granted to OAUTH to recruit 450 health workers (various cadres but mostly clinical - doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists, etc while almost 2000 additional employments/job offers were granted above the approved number.
Some medical workers at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State (OAUTH) have called on President Bola Tinubu to come to their aid, over the plans by its management to lay them off without paying their entitlements.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, had on the 27th of January on his X platform stated that approval was granted to OAUTH to recruit 450 health workers (various cadres but mostly clinical - doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists, etc while almost 2000 additional employments/job offers were granted above the approved number.
However, the workers alleged that the management subjected them to penury for over twelve months of unpaid salary.
One of the employees told SaharaReporters that they are suffering and have resorted to begging to feed their families due to the hardship the non-payment of salaries has subjected them to.
He said; “I was given an appointment letter on December 13, 2022, after completion of my medicals. I was posted to the place of my primary assignment. Since then, we have been in this sorry-case situation, no salary was paid to me.
"Letters of Acceptance were required from each of us and same were returned to the Management of the Institution within the stipulated time.
"Medical tests were required from us to ascertain our physical, medical and mental fitness for the job which gulped in variations of N35,000 to N50,000 from the pulse of the newly employed staff each and these monies were paid directly into the account of the Hospital Management.
"Another sum of N5000 flat rate was required from each of us by the management and same were paid by all staff into the account of the hospital management as required and got cleared from the Unit Administration (UA) office of the Institution.
"Files and file Numbers were created, Posting letters were also issued to every successful candidate into various departments and Units of the Hospital Management and staff resumes officially.
"From the Month of resumption and services into various departments and units, staff began signing of salary checklist in expectant of Salaries into our earlier submitted various bank accounts.
"As work continues in expectations of our salaries, members of staff, due for Annual Leave according to the Federal Government Civil service rules and regulations were given approvals by the Management of the Hospital.
"In-between the Months of July 2023 and November 2023, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Management of the Hospital conducted three (3) different levels of verification exercises for the staff in expectations of the popular IPPIS capturing and enrollment into the Federal Government salary Portal.
"During the expectations of the various verification exercises, the Prof Okeniyi led management paid only the medical doctors, employed during the same period and through the same process a salary of Five(5) months, leaving all other staff who are not doctors in disarray and hopelessness into the new year 2024 even in the faces of general economic hardship in the country.
"The questions going through the minds of all staff affected now are; When would our Salaries be paid? When will Capturing into IPPIS portal come up?”
Meanwhile, on the 11th January, a press statement signed by one Patricia Deworitshe Director (Media & Public Relations) of the Federal Ministry of Health reveal that Minister was aware of the issues at OAUTHC and promised to make resolution known publicly in 10days as from the day of the Press statement.
The minister, who said many job seekers and their sponsors influence peddlers, and, allegedly, illegal transactions were made to secure many of the illegal positions, called for some patience in order to complete due diligence at the end of which they would make their decisions public.
He wrote; "Reportedly an Approval was granted to OAUTH to recruit 450 health workers (various cadres but mostly clinical - doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists, etc.
"Unfortunately, almost 2000 additional employments/job offers were granted above the approved number. Many job seekers and their sponsors influence peddlers, and, allegedly, illegal transactions were made to secure many of the illegal positions.
"Now, the quandary is how to tease out the truly legally employed versus the illegal ones. Where many of the illegals are not even clinical workers; and there is no money in the hospital to pay for them.
"We are soon coming with some of the difficult decisions we have to make while avoiding embarrassment for the innocent as much as possible. For those who racketeered (paid for or received payments for jobs), please quietly consider moving on while we find ways to resolve for the more innocent caught in the mess.
"Stay tuned. We are listening and will clean up the mess even though it occurred long before we came in. No excuses," he said.